ASA raps Sport for air gun ads

The Daily Sport has been dubbed irresponsible by the Advertising Standards Authority for offering its readers air guns in an ad which uses, among others, the tagline: “&£10m worth of fun sporting air pistols for every reader”. The ASA ruling comes at a time when the Government is planning tougher laws to tackle gun crime, including a five-year minimum sentence for illegal possession and use of a firearm.

The advertising watchdog upheld complaints against the Daily Sport reader-offer ad because the newspaper did not take appropriate steps to ensure that the air guns are not sold to under 18-year-olds. The advertiser has been asked to consult The Committee of Advertising Practice Copy Advice team before advertising again.

â¢Separately, the ASA has not upheld Interbrew UK’s complaint against rival Anheuser-Busch, for comparing the cost of Interbrew’s Stella Artois to A-B’s lager brand Michelob. Complaints that the ad, with the tagline “Belgium is laughing at your expense”, was denigratory and the comparison unfair and misleading were not upheld.

Public complaints against Harvey Nichols’ ads that show a blurred photograph of a woman standing at the side of a road and leaning though the passenger door window of a car with the tagline: “I don’t get married men anymore. One man said it’s because his wife is taking all his money. A Harvey Nichols fashion victim”, has also not been upheld.

A complaint against a Vodafone mailer that contained a lozenge has been upheld for being irresponsible. The ASA was concerned that it could fall into the hands of children.

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